Saturday, June 18, 2016

String Crossroads

I designed a quilt.

I always feel presumptuous when I think or say that, since this quilt is made of very traditional elements. However, I looked around online for quite a while, and I didn't see another just like it, so there it is--I designed a quilt.

This quilt takes elements of the traditional Arkansas Crossroads and combines it with my love of string blocks.

As you can see, I replaced the sixteen patch blocks with string blocks arranged in an X to mimic the shape in the crossroads blocks.

Here are some closer pictures (and you can see that I couldn't refrain from sticking in some fun fabrics!).

Chickens!

A jungle face and a hint of the Cardinals MLB fabric

A red onion (doesn't everyone need a quilt with an onion on it?)

Elephants (at least parts of them)

Another jungle face

I backed it with a beige and brown print, and I quilted it with an all-over meander. A bright red binding finished it off. The size is 82" x 98" (and it was a wrestling match to quilt one that large on my DSM [Domestic Sewing Machine]), but it was worth it to be able to say I did it all--from design to piecing to quilting to binding myself!

I'm hoping to write a pattern for this, but I've never done that before! We'll see how it turns out. I'll offer it for free here on the blog when/if I get it together.Yes, I designed a quilt!